In late summer loons will gather in social groups and just hang around until its time to head for the coast for migration.
I took this early this morning as a pair of loons worked their way up a channel along side some green conifer trees, thus the green reflection in the water. Not a photo you will see to often! 5/4/15
Most loons beaks are black but some will vary in color. 5/14/15
These loons were actively fishing and took a break to move along. The female is on the right. 5/14/15
Quabbin loon in the early morning sunlight. 5/21/15
A beautiful male loon in the early morning Quabbin sunshine. Taken from over 100 yards away and cropped with 1.3X in the camera, Then cropped again in Lightroom 5. Its important to stay away from these guys as far as possible. 6/3/15
A female loon defends her territory against another loon intruding in the early morning fog on the Quabbin Reservoir. These birds are great to have on the Quabbin but are still considered "endangered" in Massachusetts by Masswildlife. This was taken from about 100 yards away also. 6/3/15
This little puff of coal is a day old common loon chick taken on July 2nd, 2015 in the west branch of Fever brook cove.
This is the same chick with both parents. Quabbin Reservoir, 7/2/15
Loons love a good stretch of the wings and a good wing flap after a dive or preening. Quabbin Reservoir, 7/2/15
Because loons legs are far back on their body, they can not walk. They pull themselves out of the water and just pull brush and moss around them to make a bowl for a nest. Quabbin Reservoir, 7/2/15
A loon preens in the summer sun at Quabbin, 6/26/15
Common loons usually end preening sessions with a stretch and and a flap of the wings that can be seen for quite a ways on the water. 6/26/16
A group of common loons are just having a good chat together at Quabbin. 6/26/15
A pair of loons floating about Quabbin. You can see the leg band identification on the right hand side of the photo on the rear leg. You gotta love loons ! 6/26/15
A day old loon chick hooks a warm ride with dad under his wing. They will do this for 2 weeks or so after hatching. 7/29/15
Common loons need a long way to take off from the surface of the water. Here is a loon getting up speed to take off. You can see the research bands on this legs of this bird.... 7/6/16
Down the hatch !! well, maybe. We saw this female loon struggling with a sunfish this morning at Quabbin. When we left her she was still working on the fish. When we returned to the area 3 hours later she was still there but the fish was gone. This was taken with a Nikon D810 and a Nikon 200-500mm lens.
Young loons stretching their muscles. They will do this all of their lives. These two are 4 weeks old. 7/29/15
Just like the young ones. This also helps them realign their feathers after preening and diving. 7/29/15
A flying loon at the Quabbin Reservoir. Note the research bands on this birds legs. 7/14/16
A female loon takes off. It takes a loon about 50 yards to get airborne. Here this female heads back to the male with the two chicks back in their territory at Quabbin. Notice the colored bands on her legs used by researchers for identification. 8/12/15
A common loon and her chick eating breakfast at Quabbin. This chick in 9 weeks old. 9/28/15
Here is the female loon and mother of the chick in the last photo driving an immature loon who dropped in for a visit away from her chick. These encounters can some times be intense with injures to either birds. 9/28/15
The female loon here is puffing itself up to look larger and chasing the young loon away. The young loon can't get away fast enough!! 9/28/15
A 6 month old loon chick testing the wings before the ice forms on the Quabbin for the winter. 11/29/15
The loons have all left the Quabbin for the winter. The chicks are the last to leave and they leave a few days before the ice sets in. The adults will return in early April for the summer of 2016 breeding season. 2015 was a record season for successful chicks being fledged.
An adult loon at Quabbin cruising along on a calm summers day. Did I mention I love these birds ! 7/8/16
A juvenile loon finishes off a preen at the Quabbin Reservoir with a good shake to get all the feathers realigned. 7/6/16
Its that time of year when the loons at Quabbin are starting to group up after nesting. These birds have either failed nesting , lost chicks to predation of just didnt nest. Its common to see groups of up to ten loons hanging out together. Taken on todays loon survey. 8/8/16
Here's a shot of a common loon taken today on the Quabbin Reservoir. Most shots I see are all side shots of loons. Here's one you don't see to often. 8/17/18
It wont be long before the common loons all head for the coast for the winter. There are still some hanging in there at Quabbin. Note the beautiful black and white checkered breeding plumage has all disappeared until spring. 11/27/16
I spent 3 hours this morning watching 5 loons interact with each other. I was very comical and they were very vocal. He's one at the end of a preening session. In a month they will be heading to the coast for the winter. Notice their breeding plumage has disappeared for the winter. 11/3/16
Loons will be on the Quabbin until late December. I watched a group of 9 this morning. Now they have lost their bright breeding plumage and are a dull brown and white. I guess this loon didnt know Quabbin is closed for fishing now until next April. 10/26/16
The second week of loon surveys found these three loons just hanging out and fishing together on a warm, calm, late spring afternoon. I love these birds!
Another pair of common loons fishing on another part of Quabbin and the female struck it rich! A beautiful rainbow trout that went down the hatch all at once !
I met a couple old friends this morning. These are two of the loons that are mated in the north part of the Quabbin back on their territory again after a few years on the same place. I was able to see their ID bands on their legs for certain confirmation. Spring is really here ! 4/19/17
A family of 2 adult loons with their 4 day old babies start the 2017 summer off with great weather. Lets hope they make it through the summer until they can fly in the fall. 6/28/17
First loon survey since I got back from Cape Breton and this one was waving hello to me ! I never get sick of these birds.... 6/21/17
Yesterday was weekly loon survey day at Quabbin. The loons are starting to gather up. These are birds that failed this season nesting or never started. We saw 9 birds in one flock. 7/14/15
The weekly common loon surveys started today at Quabbin, We found a group of 8 loons and this loon popped up with his lunch, a crawfish, right in front of us. 5/17/17
Here is Whitey on September 13th. He and his mate were about 1/2 mile apart and he had one chick. The other chick disappeared sometime in the last 2 weeks. As we drove away from these 2 loons an eagle flew over them and landed in a birch tree so it could watch them closer. 9/13/17
AND HERE THEY WERE WITH THE CHICKS JUST A FEW DAYS OLD: On the weekly loon survey yesterday we had a boat breakdown in this loons territory. While we were looking at the motor trying to figure out the problem my favorite Quabbin loon we call Whitey came floating by with his 2, 2 day old chicks on his back and then floated off again...... it was a pleasant surprise ! 8/2/17
Dad brings home the bacon.....errr.... crawfish.........loon survey....8/17/17
Here's a blast from the past as Ive been busy with the book release show and have been inside all week. This was from last summers surveys. The adult loons are great parents and keep feeding the chicks right on through the fall.
I personally make sure every loon raft is comfortable for our nesting loons the coming summer. Its a tough job and takes a tough man to complete the checklist of demands the loons require for a full nesting season. We launch about 8 rafts at Quabbin each year. Here I am in action in my breeding plumage testing one of the loon rafts last Friday. :)
We found a red-throated loon on the Quabbin this morning during the weekly loon survey. They are rare summer visitors at Quabbin and smaller than the common loons we have nesting here. 6/30/16
I was pleasantly surprised this morning when I found these three loons hanging out together on Quabbin. The loon in the middle is the loon we named "Whitey" because of the white strip of feathers in the back of his head (If you look close you can see it here). I found him in early April with his mate near Area 2. This means he has been on Quabbin 8 months. Here he is with the chick and one adult from the Eagle Tree pair.
I was hiking the shoreline of Quabbin when I spotted this loon fishing for breakfast. I went up into the woods and waited, hidden in brush with an opening I could see the water from. Once he reached my eyesight he caught this pickerel. It took about. 90 seconds to finally eat it……fish for breakfast.
Loons need between 80 to 120 feet to more to take of from a running start. I caught this one in action last week. The Quabbin loons are also starting to molt and look like old dogs around the face!
Although I retired from the DCR Quabbin a few years ago, I still volunteer to help with various wildlife surveys thru out the year. Today was a great day for the weekly loon survey. Here is a group of 6 loons, actually there were 9 loons in the flock. Loons are about my favorite birds and it’s great that I get to help the DCR with the surveys.